Congratulations

To Behroo Bagheri, who is the winner of the fourth annual Evolving Perceptions (EP) Iranian-American Fine Arts Scholarship.

In 1998, Behroo finished law school in Iran, soon thereafter she decided to move to California. Behroo decided that the paintbrush would be a more effective tool in exposing the exploitation, corruption and injustice that she observed and experienced. She shares, "It was painful to observe my fatherland going down, and not being able to speak out."

EP, which is a local DC area organization, is expanding the scholarship program and is seeking sponsors to donate to the fund. If interested in donating a tax deductible gift to Evolving Perceptions (a 501(c)3 organization), please contact EP at info@evolvingperceptions.com or call them at 202-607-0754.

Donkeys, Elephants, Pandas and... Piggybanks

From a just received news release:

"Recognizing the success of statue events around the world such as the Cows in Europe and Chicago, the Peanuts characters in Saint Paul, the Donkeys, Elephants and Pandas here in Washington D.C., we are proud to be creating Piggybanks in Washington, DC.

The display of the Piggybanks as a form of public art will coincide with the Stash Your Cash program in Washington, DC Public Middle Schools.

Stash Your Cash teaches Middle School students hands on lessons in money management through their schools. The piggybanks will promote awareness of the campaign and will create public art throughout Washington, DC.

The campaign will feature a limited number of 4 feet tall, 5 feet long, and 3 feet wide piggybanks custom designed by middle school students with the assistance of Washington, DC artists. The piggybank statues will be on display throughout Washington, DC from the end of April to June. In June, the piggybanks will be auctioned off and proceeds will go to participating schools."

The organizers have a call for artists and are hereby inviting artists to participate in this event by assisting local middle school students in designing and painting a piggybank statue. A website will soon be up, but in the meantime, to request more information please call Sara Higgs at (703) 741-7500 by Wednesday April 6, 2005.

Also on Thursday

One of the most beautiful art venues in our area is The Art Museum of the Americas, and tomorrow they will host extended hours from 6-8 PM for a viewing of the exhibit "Art of the Print."

This is an encapsulated survey of the museum’s print collection ranging in time from Jose Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913) to contemporary printmakers, Art of the Print brings together the work of artists who have dedicated the greater part of their careers to printmaking, as well as artists best known as painters or sculptors who, at different points in their careers, have been drawn to printmaking’s versatility and sensibility.

Among the artists in the exhibit are Antonio Berni, Jacobo Borges, Claudio Bravo, Rimer Cardillo, Jose Luis Cuevas, Juan Downey, Enrique Grau, Mauricio Lasansky, Matilde Marin, Leopoldo Mendez, Carlos Merida, Oscar Muñoz, Naul Ojeda, Jose Clemente Orozco, Alejandro Otero, Sonnylal Rambissoon, Omar Rayo, Diego Rivera, Jose Sabogal, Lasar Segall, David Alfaro Siquieros, Luis Solari, Fernando de Szyszlo, Rufino Tamayo, Francisco Toledo, Julio Zachrisson, Francisco Zuniga, among others.

Of note among these giants of world art, is Naul Ojeda, who passed away last year, and who lived for many years in the Washington area, where he was an enthusiastic participant in past Art-O-Matics.

For further info for further information call (202) 458-6016.

Wanna Go to an Opening Tomorrow?

Bodies: Prints by Matthew Clay-Robison is an exhibition of over 25 woodcut and serigraph prints commences tomorrow with a lecture by Clay-Robison on Thursday, March 31, 4-4:45 PM at the Margaret Brent Room, Stamp Student Union and is immediately followed by an Opening Reception from 5:00 - 6:30PM at the Union Gallery, Stamp Student Union at the University of Maryland.

Clay-Robison is a printmaker, University of Maryland alumni and assistant professor in the Department of Art and Art History at Bloomsburg University. The works' subjects include highly charged political critiques of the current administration to the depiction of a fight the artist witnessed while living in Washington, D.C.,

The Union Gallery is located on the first floor of the Stamp Student Union on the campus of the University of Maryland. Hours are 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

If you'd rather stay in the District, then Hemphill Fine Arts hosts the opening of one of Washington's best known and most respected artists: William Christenberry.

Christenberry needs no introduction and this exhibition promises to be one of the most interesting shows by a key member of ours arts community.

The opening reception is from 6:30 to 8:30PM.

The show will be on exhibit until May 14, 2005.

Arts Management

Debra Smyers wrote a paper for a Master of Arts Management class assignment at George Mason University describing a gallery reception.

She chose our Lida Moser opening last Friday and her eloquent paper can be read online here.